press charges

phrase

: to take legal action against someone : to officially accuse someone of a crime

He was caught shoplifting, but the store owner didn't press charges.

Examples of press charges in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Van Houton has always defended his decision not to press charges in the 2024 case, claiming that the original statement the woman gave campus police did not seem to warrant criminal charges. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026

The organization says police are aware of what happened but will not press charges if the kitten is returned safely. — Riley Moser, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Both Paul and Mortensen leveled allegations against each other and were investigated by police, who ultimately declined to press charges. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

The mother of a 16-year-old girl, Peggy Satterlee, had tried to press charges the year before on the claim that Flynn had twice forced himself on her daughter aboard his yacht, the Sirocco, while it was anchored off Catalina Island. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for press charges

• discharges
• enlarges
• recharges
• surcharges
• barges
• overcharges